MLB Player News

Romano will be shut down from throwing for three days after being diagnosed with right elbow inflammation, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Romano will be given an anti-inflammatory injection prior to the brief shutdown period and then hopes to resume throwing later this week. An MRI on the closer's elbow showed no structural issues, so the hope seems to be that this is just a minor issue that will resolve soon. However, there is certainly always a level of concern when it's the pitching elbow. Erik Swanson would be next in line to close for the Blue Jays, although he will be shut down himself for a day or two with a forearm issue. Yimi Garcia and/or Chad Green could be next in the pecking order.

The Rays optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rodriguez was competing for a spot in the bullpen but will head to Durham for now. He should still wind up spending a good amount of time with the big club this season.

Murphy has been diagnosed with ligament damage in his left elbow, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican says it's a high-grade tear, although a decision on whether Murphy will undergo surgery will be made in the coming days. He had been competing for one of the left-handed spots in Boston's bullpen but now will be sidelined for a significant period of time, whether surgery is ultimately required or not.

Jansen has been scratched from a scheduled appearance again Tuesday due to ongoing back tightness, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

It's the second day in a row that Jansen wasn't able to pitch as scheduled because of a nagging lower-back issue. The hope is that he will be able to make an appearance Wednesday. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday of Jansen's Opening Day availability that "we still have time, but we're running out of time." Chris Martin (groin) would be next in line to close if Jansen isn't ready, although he's banged up himself.

Pivetta allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five over four-plus innings in Monday's spring start against Minnesota.

Pivetta, whose pitch count reached 79 in his penultimate spring outing, was removed in the fifth inning after the first batter reached on a single. For those calendar watchers, Pivetta's five-day schedule lines up perfectly with Opening Day, March 28, on the road in Seattle. The right-hander has a 5.25 spring ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks over 12 innings.

Alcala looks set to begin the season in the Minnesota bullpen with injuries to Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Jhoan Duran (oblique), MLB.com reports. He has a 2.16 ERA this spring with a 10:3 K:BB in 8.1 innings.

Alcala has had a strong spring and looks back to full strength after two injury-plagued seasons. He threw just 17.1 innings last season with an ugly 6.23 ERA and missed more than four months with a stress fracture in his right forearm. He threw just 2.1 innings in 2022 due to an elbow injury that required season-ending arthroscopic debridement surgery. He could become part of the setup mix if his fastball can come close to averaging in the high-90s as it did earlier in his career (97.4 mph average in 2021).

Brebbia (calf) threw one inning in a minor-league game Monday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Brebbia is working his way back from a calf injury and had a successful return to game action. He remained non-committal about his status for Opening Day, noting that he typically needs eight-to-10 innings in the exhibition season to get properly stretched out. Monday's outing marked his first game action of the spring, meaning he may need to start the regular season on the injured list.

Buttrey was assigned to minor-league spring training Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Buttrey held his own while at big-league camp, surrendering one run on five hits while striking out five over five frames. He'll now set his sights on preparing for the 2024 minor-league campaign and figures to begin the year at Triple-A Tacoma.

Staumont reached 98 mph with his fastball in his last outing Saturday after only reaching 92-93 mph earlier in the spring, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He's given up two earned runs with four strikeouts and five walks in 4.2 innings this spring.

He had an 95.8-mph average fastball last season. Staumont is working his way back after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July. He has a minor-league option left, so he may begin the season in Triple-A as he builds back to full speed. It's also possible he begins the season in the majors with injuries to Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Jhoan Duran (oblique).

Funderburk looks set to begin the season in the Minnesota bullpen with injuries to Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Jhoan Duran (oblique), Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Funderburk and Steven Okert will be the primary lefties in the Minnesota bullpen with Theilbar sidelined. Funderburk had a 2.60 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 75:21 K:BB across 37 appearances (two starts) at Triple-A last season. He then had a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings with the Twins. He had the best strikeout rate of his career last season at Triple-A (13.0 K/9) with a strong walk rate. He could stick in the major-league bullpen if he has a strong start to the season.